With 18 major singles titles in her bag, the former tennis player, Martina Navratilova is considered one of the most decorated and revered figures in the United States. Along with a lot of praise, the Tennis Hall of Famer also received some criticism from the tennis community due to her connections with her home country, the Czech Republic.

Prior to moving to the United States, the former tennis ace faced a number of challenges while growing up in Czechoslovakia [Now the Czech Republic] under communist rule. But “giving up” was never an option for the tennis legend who later cemented her position as one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport. Speaking of it, she recently revealed how that strong mentality during the tough phase of living in a communist country, had a major impact on her battle with cancer.

Martina Navratilova on how she tackled the challenges prior to her defection

The Tennis Hall of Famer was recently featured in the renowned TalkTV show “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” where she was asked about her ‘never give up’ mentality. Prior to defecting from her home country, Czechoslovakia, 18 singles Grand Slam champion faced a number of challenges under communist rule.

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After moving to the United States, Martina Navratilova was labeled as a ‘traitor’ and she faced harsh criticism from her native country. The American tennis legend was further called into question for whether she was a part of the communist party or a spy, during her immigration.

However, the former tennis ace, with her common theme of a great attitude, answered all the critics and naysayers by clinching a plethora of titles on the court. Taking note of that, Morgan asked her, “Do you feel like your core is just a fighter?”

The former Czech–born American tennis player answered by saying that “Giving up, and stopping” was never an option for her. Navratilova reminisced about the tough times growing up in a communist country.

Speaking of it, she said, “You have to be the kind of stoic because you can’t feel sorry for yourself because you would just be crying all the time because you don’t have any freedom. So, you know, I grabbed that chance when I got it, and I was never gonna look back. So no regrets.”

Throughout her illustrious journey, the WTA legend remained stoic and determined to pursue tennis and be free from the war-torn communist regime. She added, “So whatever it is, it’s a wash but quitting, it’s just not in my DNA.”

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What do you think of the American tennis legend’s great attitude during her time at the Czech Republic? Let us know in the comments section.